


Every Ending Begins With You

by edgarallanrose



Series: Check, Please! Prompt Fills [7]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, M/M, Year 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-23 16:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19704829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edgarallanrose/pseuds/edgarallanrose
Summary: “You could always pretend to date someone,” Bittle said. “Just to get them off your back. Make somebody up.”“But I’m in the public eye now,” Jack explained, having already thought of this option. “They would wonder why there weren’t any pictures of us together. Why I wasn’t bringing her to events or why none of my friends had met her, or…”“Why have you got that funny look on your face, Jack Zimmermann?”“I think…I think I have an idea.”Jack Zimmermann never kissed Eric Bittle at the end of his senior year, and now his parents won't get off his back about dating someone.





	Every Ending Begins With You

**Author's Note:**

> notenoughgatorade said: i'm gonna be greedy and ask for more, if you have time or the inclination, i came across this awesome fake dating prompt post and i need this - I’m tired of my family whining about when I’m going to start dating someone (classic and must be included) - zimbits (jack of zimmerparents of course) from [this post.](https://rhysiana.tumblr.com/post/184882098962/veronicabunchwrites-i-dont-know-if-anyone-can)
> 
> Unbeta'd, please excuse any mistakes.

“But you like the other men on your team? They aren’t harassing you too much?” Alicia’s voice was tinny sounding from the speaker on Jack’s kitchen counter.

“No, mom, they’ve all been great. Nice guys, good players. It’s been a good fit.”

“Wasn’t like that in my rookie years,” Bob’s voice chimed in, sounding slightly more distant than Alicia. “It was pranks and chirps 24/7. All in good fun, of course.”

“Things change, Papa,” Jack said. “There’s jokes, but it’s a very tolerant atmosphere. We’re not allowed to start boxing matches on ice anymore, either.”

“The good old days,” Bob said wistfully.

Jack was catching up with his parents while he had a rare evening to himself with time to cook his own dinner. He had chicken on one burner, probably getting dry, while he sautéed mushrooms and spinach on another. Jack didn’t mind cooking, even enjoyed it sometimes, but he’d never allowed himself the time to get good at it. The most time he had ever spent in a kitchen was for that one final with Bittle during their food seminar.

He took the chicken off the burner and stuck a knife in to check it was cooked through. It was tough, but at least it wasn’t raw. Jack suddenly felt a desperate yearning for Bittle’s cooking. Occasionally he could be convinced to take a break from baking in order to make a nutrition-advisor-approved meal, and those were still better than anything Jack could ever hope to make himself or find in any restaurant.

“Jack, did you hear me?” Alicia asked.

“Sorry, mom, say that again,” Jack said, shaking his head back into focus.

“I was just saying I’m sorry we can’t make your season opener. If they didn’t have me hosting the benefit this year, I would have skipped it.”

“No worries, there will be plenty of other games you can come to.”

“And you know I will just spend the whole event checking the score under the dinner table anyway, eh Jack?”

“Bob,” Alicia sighed. “Will any of your friends be able to see you?”

“Yeah,” Jack said, dumping his vegetables out onto a dinner plate. “Shitty should be there, and Bittle texted me the other day that some of the guys from Samwell are planning to come. I got them tickets.”

“Anyone special coming?” Alicia asked, a little too innocently. Jack frowned.

“Not one person in particular, no.”

“Haven’t met anyone in Providence yet?” Bob pressed.

“I’ve met my team.”

“You know what we mean, Jack,” Alicia said. “You spend everyday training then just go home to sleep. We worry about you. You’re young, you should have a social life! You should see people!”

Jack often felt guilty for not speaking to his parents enough, but now he was starting to remember why.

“Give him a break, Alicia,” Bob said gently. “The boy is working hard!”

“You were dating during your rookie years. If you hadn’t been, you wouldn’t have met me.”

“Ah, this is very true.”

There was some silence then giggling from the other end of the line. Jack rolled his eyes.

“Okay, I get it. I’ll have plenty of time for dating later.”

“Later when? When you retire?” Bob asked. “You’re only going to get more responsibilities the longer you’re in the league, son.”

“Papa…” Jack sighed, trying to politely indicate that this line of conversation still did not interest him.

His parents seemed to get the hint, because his mother changed the subject.

“You said Bittle texted you? How is he?”

“Good,” Jack said, taking a bite of his flavorless chicken. He really should ask Bittle for more cooking tips. “I caught a game of his the other week with Shitty. He’s really come a long way.”

“And how is he doing besides hockey?”

“Fine? Probably? We text sometimes. He complains to me about his French class a lot.”

“I like him,” Alicia said. “Such a nice boy.”

“Okay?” Jack looked at the time on his phone. “It’s been good catching up, but I really should finish my dinner and get ready for bed.”

“Jack, it’s only seven thirty.”

“I’ve got an early morning.”

There was a collective sigh from both of his parents but they both said their goodbyes. Jack hung up but not before his dad added another, “Live while you’re young, kid!”

\---

The season opener went well, a 3-1 win for the Falconers, and Jack was in a good mood. Bolstered by the fact that at any point of the game he could look into the stands and see his friends cheering him on. He swore he could hear Ransom and Holster’s bellowing from center ice.

Jack had given everyone passes back to the locker room after the game. He toweled off by his changing stall, checking his phone while he waited for them to arrive. There was a congratulations text from his father, followed by another pointed message at Jack’s current bachelorhood.

 **Papa:** If that slapshot from the second period doesn’t get you somebody, I don’t know what will!

Then another from his mother.

 **Mom:** Met a very nice girl here, an up and coming actress. She was in that movie about the child violin prodigy who was too poor to go to school, and she played his tutor? Anyway, I showed her your picture and she seemed interested, so I got her number for you!

Jack’s good mood was immediately soured. Why couldn’t his parents respect the fact that he just wasn’t interested in dating right now? He had no time. His whole schedule was entirely filled up with hockey. If he couldn’t prove himself now how could he ever expect longevity in his career? Besides, it wouldn’t be fair to any potential partner. He wouldn’t be able to give them the attention they deserved, which had been the downfall of every other past relationship.

“Zimmermann,” the attendant by the locker room door said. “Guests for you.”

Jack went out and greeted his friends, plastering a smile on for their whoops and cheers while he tried to put his parents out of his mind. Everyone hugged and slapped him on the back, congratulating him on a good game. Jack noticed that Ransom was wearing Tater’s jersey, and Chowder was carrying some Snowy merch that he had clearly just bought from the shop on the way in. Jack offered to get both of them out to sign their stuff and say hi.

While they other guys were busy being starstruck by Tater and Snowy, Bittle sidled up next to Jack.

“You played a great game tonight,” he said, his appreciation sometimes a little quieter than the other guys. Jack had always liked that about Bittle.

“Thanks, Bittle.”

“I mean, that slapshot in the second period! Just, wow! I don’t know if you could hear me, I lost my dang mind.”

“Haha, thanks.”

“So, why are you so unhappy right now?”

Jack glanced down at Bittle, who looked back up with those big, earnest brown eyes. When had Bittle got to know him so well?

“My parents just…it’s nothing.”

Bittle frowned. “Did your dad say something about the game?”

“Not about the game, no. They’ve just really been on me about dating someone lately. I don’t know why. They’ve never seemed to care when I was actually dating someone before. It’s just getting to me.”

“Oh.” Bittle stared at his shoes, shoving his hands in his hoodie’s front pocket. Jack noticed for the first time he was wearing his number. It was a Zimmermann sweater. Those had only become available a week beforehand. “I understand. My parents do the same thing and I’m always feeding them excuses. I don’t really have one as valid as you, though. You must be so busy!”

Jack immediately felt like an asshole. Here he was, complaining about choosing not to date, to a boy who couldn’t actually date someone out in the open if he wanted to.

“Eh, could be worse,” Jack shrugged awkwardly.

“You could always pretend to date someone,” Bittle said. “Just to get them off your back. Make somebody up.”

“But I’m in the public eye now,” Jack explained, having already thought of this option. “They would wonder why there weren’t any pictures of us together. Why I wasn’t bringing her to events or why none of my friends had met her, or…”

Jack trailed off as he glanced down at Bittle, intently listening, his honey blonde hair doing that cute thing where it stuck up a bit in the back. His hair was cute. Bittle was cute. His mom _liked_ Bittle, she had said so herself.

“Why have you got that funny look on your face, Jack Zimmermann?”

“I think…I think I have an idea.”

\---

“So, you see,” Jack said to his parents, their carefully schooled expressions on the screen of his laptop, where he and Bitty were skyping from his living room, “this was why I couldn’t say anything. But I know I can trust you to keep this private.”

Bitty took his hand, which would be visible on screen to his parents, as he smiled at Jack. His hand was clammy, and he looked nervous in person, but Jack was pretty sure his parents wouldn’t be able to tell.

“Oh, Jack, darling,” Alicia said, clasping her hands together, “this is wonderful! I’m so sorry we were giving you a hard time.”

“If we had known –” Bob started.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now,” Alicia said, smacking Bob lightly on the arm. “And Bittle, Eric, please know that we love you and I can’t imagine Jack with anyone better!”

“Really?” Bitty squeaked.

“Only the speediest hockey players for my son,” Bob said with a wink. “Gave my boy a run for his money! No wonder he likes you.”

Bitty blushed as Jack groaned.

“Papa, please.”

“How long has this been going on?” Alicia asked.

“We started dating long distance over the Summer,” Bitty said. They had practiced their story over and over for the past two weeks. “We realized we had feelings for each other by the end of Jack’s senior year. So, it’s still a bit new, but we felt comfortable enough with each other by now to share with you.”

“And your parents, Bittle, have you told them yet?” Bob asked. “I’d love to get dinner all together sometime. You’d love Bittle’s mom, Alicia, I got to meet her at a parents’ weekend a while back.”

“My parents, um,” Bittle said, suddenly gripping Jack’s hand like a vice. “My parents—"

“Bitty’s parents don’t know,” Jack finished for him. “He’s not out. That was another reason we had to stay secret.”

“Oh,” Alicia said, sharing a side glance with Bob. “I understand. I’m sorry, Eric.”

“It’s okay!” Bitty said, forcing a bright smile. “I mean, it’s really just me and Jack’s business, right? I prefer being private.”

“Right,” Bob said, though his face was etched with concern. “Well, we are on your side if you ever decide to be public.”

They talked a few moments longer before ending the video call. As soon as Jack’s parents disappeared from the screen Bitty let go of his hand and collapsed backwards on the couch.

“Well if that wasn’t one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve ever done!”

“I really can’t thank you enough, Bittle,” Jack said. “Obviously, we don’t have to keep this up forever.”

“Obviously,” Bitty muttered, though Jack wasn’t sure if he was supposed to have heard him.

“And of course, if you want to really date someone else, you should.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Bitty said with a sad laugh. “It hasn’t happened for me yet, and I’m not holding my breath.”

Jack didn’t know what to say to that. They were both quiet for a couple moments, sitting on opposite ends of the couch, Jack nervously fidgeting with his hands in his lap.

“Can I ask you something, Jack?”

“Sure.”

“Your parents didn’t seem that surprised,” Bitty said, picking at a loose thread on a pillow, “that you were dating a boy, I mean.”

“Oh. Yeah, I don’t suppose they would be.”

Bitty looked over at him, brow furrowed. “I won’t ask you to elaborate if you don’t want to.”

“No,” Jack sighed, “the least I can do is be honest with you after what you’re doing for me. It’s not something my parents and I have ever, uh, outright discussed. But I had a relationship with a guy before. I was pretty sure they knew at the time, they always seemed okay with it. I guess this just confirms that.”

“Oh,” Bitty said, voice small.

They were quiet again before Jack heard a sniff from Bitty’s direction. Bitty was crying.

“Bitty? Are you okay? Wait, stupid, obviously you’re not okay. Um. Did I say something? Or?”

“You like boys?” Bitty said with a voice so sad and heartbroken that Jack’s own chest ached. “All this time, you’ve liked boys, too?”

“Um, yes?” Jack suddenly realized why Bitty was so upset. “I’m sorry. I should have told you at school, you probably would have felt a lot less alone. You just always seemed so confident –”

“Oh no, honey, you shouldn’t ever have to say anything if you don’t want to.” Bitty sat up, rubbing at his eyes.

“It’s not like I was deliberately keeping it from you. It’s honestly not something I think about a lot.”

“I understand. I just – I’m sorry I’m acting so silly. Forget I asked.”

Then, Jack had another thought. A thought he had been keeping repressed for who knew how long. He was such an idiot.

“Bittle,” Jack said, reaching over to wipe a tear off his cheek. “Bits.”

“Jack, what—”

Jack leaned in and kissed him. Bittle froze, and Jack was terrified he had read the situation very, very wrong. But then Bittle was wrapping his arms around Jack’s neck and kissing him back.

They pulled away for a moment, each looking questioningly into each other’s eyes, before they were kissing again. Jack had never felt a kiss so sweet, so desperate and full of want. Bitty’s lips were soft, his body pliant under Jack’s hands. He couldn’t believe they had wasted so much time _not_ kissing.

“Jack,” Bitty breathed, pulling away from him, his eyes heavy lidded and mouth pink, “you know we don’t have to do this if we’re pretending.”

“Right,” Jack agreed, “if we’re pretending.”

Bitty let out a little hysterical laugh and Jack kissed the top of his head, pulling him close.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before,” Bitty said, resting his head on Jack’s chest as he climbed into his lap. Jack instinctively wrapped his arms around him, as if he had belonged there all this time.

“I’m sorry, too.”

“I thought I was so obvious, the way I was crushin’ on you. But we were finally friends and I didn’t want to ruin anything. And honey, I really thought you were straight as an arrow!”

“Yeah?” Jack grinned, capturing Bitty in another long kiss. Bitty moaned into his mouth and the hair stood up on the back of Jack’s neck. “What do you think now?”

“I think we need less talking,” Bitty said, brushing the tip of his nose against Jack’s, “and more kissing.”

**Author's Note:**

> Trying to work through some old prompts here and get them posted, I hope you enjoyed! You can also reblog this ficlet on tumblr right over [here.](https://edgarallanrose.tumblr.com/post/186102688465/im-gonna-be-greedy-and-ask-for-more-if-you-have) Follow to keep up with my writing and see the next time I'm accepting prompts, or just come say hi to me!
> 
> Additional note: I'm going to be posting my prompts from tumblr as a series from now on rather in the other collection I've already started which is one work, with each prompt as a new chapter. Especially if my prompt fills keep getting as long as this one. I just think they'll be easier to find, and I know as a reader I hate having to sift through 30 chapters of somebody's prompt fills to find what I'm looking for, but if you have any thoughts on this I'd be happy for feedback!


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